Carnival cruise passenger arrested for GoFundMe scam

For many people, planning for a cruise requires months of cautious budgeting and saving. The average particular person can’t just wake up sooner or later and e book a cruise on a whim — at least not without regretting it later when they need to pay their credit card invoice.

To make cruise holidays more inexpensive for budget-conscious vacationers, most cruise strains offer cost plans that permit passengers to reserve their cabin far in advance and then pay for the cruise over time in interest-free installments that match their funds.

Often, you’ll be able to even create an auto-pay schedule for cruise funds that makes paying for your trip less complicated and less aggravating.

Related: Royal Caribbean passenger jumps overboard to skip big cruise invoice

While many cruise passengers take benefit of cruise cost plans to make their getaways doable, sometimes, people resort to doubtful means to funds their holidays instead.

One Carnival cruise passenger is studying the onerous manner that taking a questionable route to pay for your trip isn’t a clever selection though. She’s now going through felony fees for mixing cruising and non-vacation-related GoFundMe fundraising after posting photographs of her cruise online.

“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and works closely with law enforcement to investigate those accused of wrongdoing. While the overwhelming majority of people use our platform every day to help others, we are aware that bad actors do exist and take swift action against those who exploit the generosity of our community. In this instance, the fundraiser was removed from the platform and the organizer banned,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told Come Cruise With Me.

Doug Parker shared particulars on the cruiser’s GoFundMe scam, and other cruise news, on the Sept. 11 version of Cruise News Today.

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Woman accused of stealing GoFundMe funds for Carnival cruise

Cruise News Today Transcript:

This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.

Good morning, this is your cruise news for Thursday, September eleventh.

A Pennsylvania lady is going through felony fees after allegedly utilizing GoFundMe donations to fund a Carnival cruise.

Authorities say Vanessa Lewis raised over $40,000 to help her injured cousin but spent more than $37,000 of it on herself, including a $6,200 cruise and further money for online gaming.

Now, the scheme unraveled after the relations noticed her cruise photographs online. She’s been charged with theft by deception and is due in court on September sixteenth.

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Carnival Cruise Line freshens up Galveston cruise lineup

And Carnival Cruise Line is beefing up its Galveston, Texas sailings in ’27 and ’28. Carnival Horizon and Spirit will both homeport in Texas for the very first time, becoming a member of Jubilee and Breeze. Breeze will then shift to a seven-day schedule with western and japanese Caribbean sailings.

Jubilee will continue her six and eight-night itineraries with also including Celebration Key in the combo. And Horizon will sail to Cozumel and Progreso, while Spirit mixes shorter western Caribbean sailings with longer journey voyages. Loads there.

Related: Carnival Cruise Line brings more cruise selection to well-liked US port

MSC Cruises ship suffers another energy drawback

And MSC World Europa left Valletta about six hours late yesterday after a energy issue impacted the ship’s engines. Yeah, passengers reported a temporary energy loss with also providers being disrupted during the time.

The ship departed around midnight. And it is cruising at regular pace now in the direction of Barcelona, where it is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning.

The delay comes just weeks after the same vessel misplaced propulsion off the coast of Italy late last month.

Related: MSC cruise ship engine fails; Norwegian Cruise Line faces lawsuit

And cruise shares have been combined on Wednesday. Carnival Corporation: down 1%, 31.36. Royal Caribbean: down the same, 341.50. Norwegian: up barely, 25.43. And Viking: down 1.6%, 62.92.

If you might have a lead on a story, tell us: ideas@cruiseradio.web.

And on this September eleventh, we keep in mind those lives misplaced and the heroes who answered the call. I’m Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Thanks for being right here.

(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you e book a cruise.)

Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or e mail Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or textual content her at 386-383-2472.

This story was initially reported by TravelHost on Sep 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me part. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking right here.